The Hound of the Baskervilles Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.0

The Hound of the Baskervilles Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 24, 2015

Terence Fisher's "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (1959) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; exclusive new audio commentary with Hammer experts Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby; gallery promotional materials; archival interview with Christopher Lee; the documentary film "The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes"; "Release the Hound!", an exclusive new documentary; isolated music and effects track; and more. The release also arrives with a 26-page illustrated booklet featuring new writing on the film by former Hammer archivist Robert J.E. Simpson, illustrated with original archive stills and posters. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

"Fact are only of value when they're clear, concise and correct. Pray continue."

The novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that inspired Terence Fisher’s The Hound of the Baskervilles is legendary. It has been adapted numerous times during the years, with some of the earliest films dating back to the 1930s.

Sherlock Holmes (Peter Cushing, Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell) and his good friend Doctor Watson (The Mummy's Shroud) travel to Baskerville Hall where Charles Baskerville has been found dead. An old curse is blamed for the tragedy, but Holmes is convinced that there is a logical explanation and possibly even a killer that is still on the loose. The new Baskerville heir, Sir Henry (Christopher Lee, The Man with the Golden Gun), who has recently arrived from America and inherited the property, does not yet know what to think of the curse.

Hammer’s take on The Hound of Baskervilles is rather entertaining, but offers a very different interpretation of the classic novel. Perhaps the main reason why is the fact that it is the first color film to tackle the story about the giant hound and as a result it emphasizes visual qualities that move it into a territory the studio’s earlier horror productions frequently visited. Unsurprisingly, there are various elaborate sets and decors, very good period costumes, and lighting choices that give the film a very distinctive Gothic horror appearance.

For the most part the interactions between the main characters are convincing, but Peter Bryan’s script introduces a few surprises that cause the film to occasionally stutter. For example, Holmes’ long disappearance leaves Watson alone with Sir Henry for a substantial period of time and he effectively becomes the leading character. The segments with Bishop Frankland (Miles Malleson, Kind Hearts and Coronets) are also rather awkward as the humor quickly cuts through the Gothic atmosphere and temporarily makes the film look like a silly parody.

The hound isn’t seen until the finale. It is heard howling a few times, but its presence is never felt in a way that would make one believe that it is the monster that is described in the novel. In fact, when it eventually emerges from the shadows and attacks Sir Henry, it very much looks like a fairly harmless dog wearing a cheap mask. (Some of the more recent TV adaptations of The Hound of the Baskervilles have been far more successful in their attempts to resurrect the monster).

The film’s greatest strength -- at least as far as this reviewer is concerned -- is James Bernard’s dramatic orchestral score. It is quite dark and intense and truly as effective as the various excellent scores Bernard composed for such classic Hammer films as The Quatermass Xperiment (1955), The Plague of the Zombies (1966), Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966), and The Devil Rides Out (1968).

Prior to The Hound of the Baskervilles Fisher and cinematographer Jack Asher also teamed up on The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Horror of Dracula (1958), and The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958).

The Hound of the Baskervilles Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Terence Fisher's The Hound of the Baskervilles arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video.

The high-definition transfer is very uneven. There are select sequences with acceptable depth, but large parts of the film look disappointingly flat and dull. A lot of the indoor footage, in particular, is quite problematic -- shadow definition is unconvincing and clarity inconsistent (see screencapture #8). Grain is very uneven and poorly resolved. There are distracting halo effects that make some of the outdoor footage appear quite harsh as well (see screencaptures #9 and 10). Color saturation does not impress. In fact, it is quite obvious that entire color tonalities are lost (see the greens and reds in screencaptures #11 and 16). Overall image stability is good, but there are various tiny specks and scratches that appear throughout the entire film. Finally, there are some minor framing anomalies -- during a couple of sequences the top end of the frame is lowered too much (see screencaptures #21, 22, 23, and 24). All in all, this is an underwhelming presentation of The Hound of the Baskervilles that isn't going to please fans of the film. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free Blu-ray player in order to access its content).

The Hound of the Baskervilles Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Clarity is good, but depth occasionally fluctuates a bit. James Bernard's quite dramatic orchestral score, however, easily breathes and balance is good. The dialog is stable and easy to follow, but there some room for improvement with the high-frequencies. A few tiny pops can be heard. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report.

The Hound of the Baskervilles Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original black-and-white trailer for The Hound of the Baskervilles. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Image Gallery - a gallery of promotional materials for The Hound of the Baskervilles.

• The Hound of the Baskervilles Excerpts - presented here are two extracts from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous novel read by the late Christopher Lee. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Mr. Sherlock Holmes. (15 min).
  2. The Hound of the Baskervilles (7 min).

• Actor's Notebook: Christopher Lee - in this archival interview, Christopher Lee discusses some of Sherlock Holmes' more notable qualities (and possible flaws), Peter Cushing's performance, Terence Fisher's brilliant arranging skills, and the shooting of various sequences from the film. In English, not subtitled. (13 min).

• The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes - this documentary takes a closer look at the various films with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary character and the actors that played him. The documentary is narrated and presented by Christopher Lee. It aired in 1986. In English, not subtitled. (47 min).

• Andre Morell: Best of British - this featurette focuses on the life and career of actor Andre Morell, who plays Doctor Watson in The Hound of the Baskervilles. Included in it are interviews with the late actor's son, Jason Morell, writer Denis Meikle (A History of Horrors), writer David Miller (The Complete Peter Cushing), and writer Jonathan Rigby (Studies in Terror). In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• Release the Hound! - this new documentary focuses on the production history of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Included in it are interviews with film historian Kim Newman, actor and writer Mark Gatiss, third assistant director Hugh Harlow, and mask-maker Margaret Robinson, amongst others. In English, not subtitled. (31 min).

• Booklet - 26-page illustrated booklet featuring: "Strange Things on the Moor" by former Hammer archivist Robert J. E. Simpson and technical credits.

• Cover - reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Paul Shipper.

• Isolated Score - isolated music and effects soundtrack. Presented as LPCM 2.0 track.

• Commentary - in this brand new audio commentary, Hammer experts Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby dissect The Hound of the Baskervilles and offer a great deal of factual information about its production history as well as the careers of the actors that appeared in it. The two gentlemen also highlight some specific details that were altered for the film, including character identities, and some of the supposedly unusual casting decisions.

The Hound of the Baskervilles Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Arrow Video's Blu-ray release of Terence Fisher's The Hound of the Baskervilles comes with an impressive selection of supplemental features, including a very informative new audio commentary with Hammer experts Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby, but the film looks disappointingly anemic in high-definition. The release is sourced from an old and quite problematic master provided by MGM, but it appears that it is the best one available at the moment. If The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of your favorite films, try to find the Blu-ray on sale and then consider adding it to your collection. If it isn't, consider renting it first. RENT IT.